Possessed of a short backlift, powerful forearms and relentless bloody-mindedness, left-handed batsman Kushal Janith Perera's batting is not just inspired by his hero Sanath Jayasuriya's technique, at times, it seems an exact duplicate.

Like Jayasuriya, he has a second skill - though it is wicketkeeping rather than slow left-arm, and he was part of Sri Lanka's Under-19 teams, before he joined Colts Cricket Club as a senior. At Colts, Perera quickly set about forging a career founded on aggression and reliability in equal parts, and after two seasons, Sri Lanka's selectors could no longer ignore him.

An injury to Kumar Sangakkara saw him earn a place in Sri Lanka's limited-overs squad to Australia in January 2012, where his breezy innings made plain his talent - particularly during a 22 not out at the Gabba that took Sri Lanka home in a low-scoring ODI. Though a middle-order batsman by reputation, he was promoted to the position of opener in the two Twenty20s that followed, where he continued to play impactful innings

On return to Sri Lanka, Perera hit a first-class double-ton, then a 275-ball 336, and had proved enough to the selectors to be given a central contract and an extended run in the limited-overs sides.Andrew Fidel Fernando